Hub-casting apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' F. H. ENSIGN.

HUB CASTING APPARATUS.

Patented Jan; 10, 1888. 477:1. n

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(No Modi. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. H. ENSIGN.

HUB CASTING APPARATUS.

Patented Jan. 10, 1888..-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

FRANK H. nnsren,

OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

V HUB-CASTING APPARATUS.

PECIFICATION foaming part of Letters Patent No. 376,146, dated January 10, 1888, Application filed July 28, 1887. Serial No. 245,484.. (No model.)

To all whom, it 77mg concern:

Beit known that I, FRANK H. ENSIGN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hub-Casting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in indestructible molds used for casting the hubs of composite wheels, said molds being preferably made of steel or durable iron, one set serving to cast a large number of hubs. Two of these hubs are ordinarily cast upon one axle, and are located a short space apart in planes transverse and at right angles to the said axle and parallel to each other; but in finishing the said wheel these two sets of spokes, radiating from the two separate hubs, are bent toward each other and their outer extremities are closed into one common rim, for the purpose of forming a bracing-wheel.

The first part of my invention consists in mechanism for casting one hub upon an axle; and thesecond part otmyinvention consists in the same, with additional mechanism for easting two hubs upon one axle. To accomplish this one section of one of the molds, which is employed in the first operation as an integral half of a mold, must be'cut through the plane of its axis into two parts, in order that the said part of the mold may be removed from the axle after the said two hubs have been cast upon the said wheel-axle, all of which'will be fully explained hereinafter in describing the operation of these improvements; and the third part of my invention consists in provid mg molds of a permanent character with suitable indestructible openings for receiving the wheel-spokes (previously formed) and for holding the spokes ,in position while the molten metal is being introduced into said molds, and also for providing suitable indestructible openings or sprue-holes leadinginto said molds, all the said sprueholes and openings for spokes being in the same plane of division of said molds, the construction of said mechanism being such that the mouth of said sprue-hole may be elevated above the level of any part of the interior cavities of said molds for receiving the said molten metal, substantially as hereinafter shown and described. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section on line A of Fig. 4:, showing the molds in a horizontal position and closed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the same line A, showing the molds in a vertical position and closed. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the same line showing the molds open, one lying in a horizontal and one in a vertical position. Fig. 4 is a vertical crosssection on line B, Fig. 3, showing the molds open, one lying in a horizontal and one in a vertical position. Fig. 5 is atop view of theapparatus. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of an axle and pair ofhnbs, one of which hubs is represented as inclosed by its forming-mold.

Similarletters refer to si milar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 0 represents themain frame, having the part D, to which is pivoted the swinging arm E, and at the opposite end of the frame O is a post, F, and lugs G near the post F. Between the lugs G, at I, (seeFig. 4,) are pivoted the molds H and H, which molds are adapted to beopened on a substantially longitudinal division, and by means ot' this pivotal arrangement are adapted to be placed in any of the several positions shown in Figs; 1, 2, and 3. The mold H, by means of the .joint J, is also adapted to be opened on the line ofa horizontal planethrough the center of the pivot J, as shown at K in Fig. 5. This secondary part of the said par-t H of the mold I have designated in the drawings as H. The centers of the molds H and H, which latter part, H, consists of the part H and H, are cupped out to the proper size and form of the hubs to be cast therein, as

Having described the construction of myinvention, its operation is as follows: The molds H and H are first placed in an open position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5; but it is not important at this stage of the operation that the mold H should be divided, as shown in Fig. 5. The said molds H and H having been thus opened, the wrought-iron spokes (which are preferably bent so as to form two spokes from one piece of material) are placed in position, as shown at N in Fig. 5. The mold H is then closed upon the mold H, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby holding the spokes in position, when both molds are raised together to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the axle M is placed in the holes through the centers of the molds. Then, with the mold H preferably bearing against the post 1*, the two molds H and H are preferably clamped together by means of aswinging arm, E; but I make no claim to any special device for clamping the molds together, for it is obvious that many well-known devices may be employed for this purpose. The molten metal to form the hub may now be poured into the molds through the sprue-hole 0. After the hub so formed has been sufficiently cooled, which cooling is very rapidly performed by means of the conducting and radiating power of metallic chills, the hub and axle are easily removed by dropping the molds H to the posilion shown in Fig. 3. After one hubsuch as L, for instauce-has been thus cast upon an axle, M, the operation of casting a second hub, L, is accomplished in the same manner as that of casting the first hub, L; but here a ditliculty arises, which consists in the removal of the inside mold, H, which, by the cooling of the second-hub, L, upon the shaft, has become inolosed between the two hubs L and L. To accomplish the removal of this mold I divide the said mold on a horizontal plane through its axial line, as shown in Fig. 4, and hinge its parts together, as shown at J. By this means the operation of removing said mold is rendered obvious and easy.

Having described my invention, I do not claim, broadly, metallic molds for forming or casting wheelhubs; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The base 0, in combination with a twopart mold, the parts of which mold arepivotcd together and to the base 0, and are adapted to be opened and closed through a substan tially longitudinal division, the said mold being provided with a spruehole between the said parts and substantially parallel with their line of division, whereby the said mold is adapted to be raised to a vertical position for receiving through said sprue hole molten metal, and to be lowered to a horizontal position for removal of the casting, substantially as shown and described.

2. The base 0, in combination with a twopart mold, the parts of which mold are piv oted together and to the base (1, and are adapted to be opened and closed through a substantially horizontal division, the said mold being provided with radial grooves between and substantially parallel with the said division for receiving wheel-spokes N, and with a spruchole also between and substantially parallel with the said division, whereby the said mold is adapted to be raised to a vertical position for receiving through said sprue-hole molten metal, and lowered for removal of the casting, substantially as shown and described.

3. The base G, to which are pivoted two parts of a mold whose parts are openable and closable through a substantially longitudinal division, and whose combined parts are adapted to be raised to a vertical position, one of the said parts being subdivided at a substantially right angle to the first-named division, and means for securing the parts of the mold together, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. ENSIGN.

\Vitnesses:

JOHNSON THURSTON, fit. A. MILLs. 

